San Francisco’s transit system was rated higher than all but one other city by Walk Score. The city also scored higher than nearly all other urban areas for its biking and for its walkability. City residents were taking advantage of these opportunities as of 2012, with over 55% choosing not to commuting to work by car, more than all but a handful of U.S. cities. San Francisco, which is well within commuting distance of Silicon Valley, also pioneered a controversial program permitting companies such as Google and Apple to use public bus stops for their private shuttles.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) maintains rail, trolley, and bus routes throughout the Philadelphia region, including more than 100 bus stations. There are four public transit systems in addition to SEPTA connecting residents to their destinations in the Philadelphia metro area. The city was among the top six urban areas for its walkability, overall transit quality, and bikeability.

Boston commuters were more likely to walk to work than those in any other major city. More than 15% did so in 2012. The city’s public transportation also offers excellent alternatives to driving, according to Walk Score, which rated Boston’s transportation infrastructure third best in the country. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), also known as the T, recently announced the completion of train arrival information systems at all 53 of its heavy rail stations in the city, one of the first cities in the country to do so.

Nearly 38% of households in Washington, D.C. did not have a car in 2012, one of the highest percentages in the U.S. Additionally, more than 60% of working residents chose not to drive to work, one of the highest rates in the nation. The city received some of the highest marks from Walk Score for walkability, public transit, and biking in the area. As of 2010, 82.5% of the Washington, D.C. metro area’s population was served by a transit system. This figure may rise once the first section of the Washington Metro’s Silver Line opens, scheduled for later this year.

1. New York, N.Y. > Pct. of households without a vehicle: 56.5%> Pct. commuting to work via public transportation: 55.9% (the most)> Transit score: 81.2 (the best)> Population: 8,336,697 (the largest)

Nearly 90% of New York metro area residents were served by public transportation, more than all but a handful of other places in the U.S. More than 56% of New York City households did not own a car, the most of any city in the nation. This figure was up from 2007, when 54% of New York households did not have a car. In all, New Yorkers were more likely than residents of any other city to take public transportation to work, and no city received higher scores for walkability or transit. The city continues to invest in public transportation, including extensions to the city’s subway system, a new subway transit hub in downtown Manhattan, and improving accessibility for Long Island Rail Road commuters.